10 ways to use barrel cactus in water-wise gardens

Debra Lee Baldwin

The golden barrel cactus is back, an increasing popular choice in drought-tolerant gardens, and not just because they need so little water. Designers often use golden barrels to provide intriguing texture, dramatic shapes and bright color all year long. Tag along as cactus and succulents specialist Debra Lee Baldwin provides a quick introduction to how barrels can be deployed in water-wise gardens. Idea No. 1: The round yellow cactuses can play off the blue senecio and red flowers of spiky aloe. Back to L.A. at Home

No. 2: With each other. Part of the plant's beauty is the effects it creates from different angles. When backlit and viewed from the side, the spines surround the cactuses with a glowing halo. Back to L.A. at Home